Endanger Hong Kong’s national security, and I’ll take you down, Chris Tang warns

Hong Kong’s top security official, Chris Tang Ping-keung, has issued a stern warning that anyone endangering national security will face severe consequences. Tang also criticized an embattled press group, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), for lacking credibility and not adhering to proper election procedures.

Tang accused the HKJA of operating as a "black box" organization, as it failed to disclose the names of candidates and the final list of elected members. He further criticized the group for allegedly shielding rioters during the 2019 anti-government protests and for being biased in its coverage of the national security trial of former media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

The HKJA had initially planned to elect a new executive committee in mid-June but extended the current committee's term by three months due to insufficient candidate submissions. The association has now secured the minimum five candidates required and plans to hold the election on August 8.

Selina Cheng, chairwoman of the HKJA, defended the organization, stating that it operates under an interim board solely responsible for conducting the election. She also defended the association's decision to stop publicly releasing election information, citing harassment campaigns targeting the board.

Tang emphasized that if any individual engages in acts that endanger national security, collude with external forces, or subvert state power, they will face consequences. He also warned against organizations abusing trade union names for purposes unrelated to labor rights, stating that the authorities will investigate and prosecute such cases according to the law.